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Tuesday, June 26, 2012

COBRA MONKEY SNAKE WHISKEY ROCK AND ROLL.

Ahem. Yes, the International Playboys of Missoula, Montana. "The Playboys" as they're known to locals, are a band who in the 2000s arguably accomplished more in a relatively short time frame than any other band from Missoula. They created a (ridiculous, but excellent) set of personas (Cap'n Sextastic, Monte Carlo, etc) as players from some international place, where money, booze and women presumably grew on the same tree. And they never diverted from that schtick for their entire lifespan as a group. They always wore nice clothes when they played. They remained willfully oblivious to the Morissey album named roughly the same thing as their band.

They chewed up and digested a handful of drummers before arriving at the enigmatic Joe Danger, skinsman spectacular. What else... they regularly self-released about three records, including one I printed in the basement, and for which I was both paid and presented with a beautiful bottle of Italian wine. Their career-end record, Cobra Blood Hangover, released by Australian Cattle God in 2006 featured a beautiful, band-commissioned piece of bizarre cover art that was done in oil paint, on canvas.

And they toured the country at least a couple times a year, for about 5 good years, and finally hit the road with Canadian punk grandfathers Nomeansno. That feat alone, which I was thinking about recently, can't be sort of overstated enough. Fucking Nomeansno, man. Rob and John Wright. They hand selected this group. The International Playboys. From here. To tour with 'em.

All this is sort of an inventory, however, and what you want is the Why, right? Well, at their best, the Playboys could absolutely level a room with raunchy, dirty, loud rock and roll. I remember Total Fest IV which they played, and which featured a lot of Playboy blood, sweat and beer. It's a big deal for us to have 'em back. Can we get a warm round of applause, for the International Playboys?